The invention is designed for repairing small punctures such as nail holes in a pneumatic tire, although the technology employed has been successfully used in repairing larger punctures, e.g. holes having a diameter of one-quarter of an inch.
Briefly stated, the invention envisions using a plugless, rubber patch for covering the puncture adjacent the inner peripheral surface of the tire. A recess is provided adjacent the puncture to hold unvulcanized rubbery material, and means are provided for restricting movement of the unvulcanized rubbery material into the puncture when the patch is heated and placed under pressure to collapse the recess and force the unvulcanized rubbery material from the recess, into the puncture.